Searching for Solutions

Senate Reauthorizes the SUPPORT Act

Last week, the Senate passed a reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act in a rare show of bipartisanship. The SUPPORT Act reauthorizes key prevention, treatment and recovery programs for patients with substance use disorder, including programs to support the behavioral health workforce. Among the reauthorized programs are the Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Recovery (STAR) Loan Repayment Program, helping bolster the workforce by providing loan repayment opportunities for SUD treatment and recovery providers in the face of severe workforce shortages — as well as critical recovery efforts through the Building Communities of Recovery (BCOR) program and comprehensive opioid recovery centers. The bill now heads to President Trump’s desk for his signature.
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Collaborative Practice

Collaborative practice agreements permit clinical pharmacists to provide expanded healthcare services to patients. Learn more in this 11-minute video.
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Advocating for the Evidence: Antidepressants for Youth with Depression

AAPP supports access to antidepressants for youth with moderate to severe symptoms of a depressive, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive-based disorder and reconsideration of the boxed warning on new-onset suicidal thoughts/behaviors given its many unintended consequences and role in accelerating stigma. Psychiatric pharmacists are encouraged to use this policy brief to support your own advocacy for this gold-standard treatment.
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Target Audience The Summit is a 2-day virtual meeting devoted to advancing the care of individuals living with mental illness. Participants in the Summit will improve their ability to care for patients diagnosed with mental illness(es), with a focus on emerging areas of practice and contemporary issues in psychiatric pharmacy at the specialist level. Topics span treatment settings and are of value to all psychiatric pharmacists regardless of the practice setting.

Classic psychedelics, or classical hallucinogens, are Schedule I psychoactive drugs which historically have been used by various ethnic groups for traditional and religious purposes and associated spiritual experiences. In modern times, psychedelics are commonly used for their recreational intentions.

Advocating for Public Health and Psychiatry: Spotlight on the Evidence

Our newly launched, member-protected Policy Statements and Briefs webpage details AAPP’s stance on over 35 topics surrounding access to care, gold standard treatments, and needed policies to support access to care and psychiatric pharmacists. These policy statements are further supported by our advocacy fact sheets and 7 policy briefs, a new set of resources authored by our Rapid Action Task Force. Please check out these new resources and provide your feedback directly from the webpage.

Clozapine Education Grant Leads to HealthWell Foundation Feature on Psychiatric Pharmacy

In early November, AAPP will be launching a 5.5 hour educational series on clozapine. Grant funded in partnership with the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Alliance, this program seeks to educate clinicians and expand the use of clozapine. News of this grant has also promoted the role of psychiatric pharmacists as seen in this article on HealthWell Foundation’s website. HealthWell is a non-profit that provides financial assistance for insurance and medications for illnesses such as schizophrenia. A special thanks for AAPP President Jolene Bostwick for so eloquently describing the value and impact of psychiatric pharmacists.

FDA Initiates Label Change for Acetaminophen Citing Autism Risk

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration initiated the process for a label change for acetaminophen (Tylenol and similar products) to reflect evidence suggesting that the use of acetaminophen by pregnant women may be associated with an increased risk of neurological conditions such as autism and ADHD in children. The agency also issued a related letter alerting physicians nationwide.

MOUD and the Role of Pharmacists in Treating and Engaging Patients

AAPP members Michelle Geier, PharmD, APh, BCPP, FAAPP; Michelle Colvard, PharmD, BCPP; and Rebecca Hoss, PharmD, BCPP represented AAPP and psychiatric pharmacy in presenting a session on the important role of psychiatric pharmacists in treating and engaging patients with MOUD. Speakers detailed their practice models and the significant impact they make as psychiatric pharmacists in various settings including in public health, an outpatient SUD clinic, and a hospital system. We appreciate their contributions and advocacy on behalf of psychiatric pharmacy.
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